Oxford Democrat., 1887-10-18

10 ihs Grand Jury. ins,rSeiing them sub.
.i.nsi.liy =. follows;
Geufisiasa cf tAs Graad Jary
Ths lsSg'hy aud comprehensive, ba,
solemn oath which you have just gi'en
inyir % you some iles of the importance
and r,sponsibiliiy which the l.~ dsvol,e'
upcn Orsrd Jarcn.
TIE institution which you represent
came % us. DOT by legislative enae,meni
or tLs part of the State OF The Federal
so,srnmsn,. tg, /, came ss part Of the
80 q ihs mother eoan,ry-,ke Common
is.~ Il Eagland.
Formerly Il ~as customary 10 Instruct
Gfaud Jarors q, lsns,h upon the nature
sna clsssifeAiions q the crimes likely 20
come bsfors thsm. bat here yea have the
Attorney ior the STATE. oae learned 10 the
40. 10 instruct .sd guide you. lie u
required by the l.- - be -iiA yoa and
will .ssisl Yea in The ma;isr. q delibef.
sii'a ~hicb cone bef0fe your body.
Ia early times. -hea Msias as
part q Massachusetts. Grand Jurors ~sfv
slsc,sd ~ ballot Ia TIE same mshasr and
Al The same time a. Ssleetmen. Later
they wsre selected from lists IN open tosn
meeting. and later siil the system II
selecting them from lists made by the
municipal oftcef. -. in,rodseed and ).
used Al present. From ihsss list. legal
majority in open ,o~n meeting may
s.riks cut the nAmss q persons deemed
incou peat. So the municipal othesrs
have the exclusive rish, to say ~ho nay
Be Grad Jarors. aud the io-n the rge,
20 say who may no; be. The law es-
cludes saca persons As are from vafi5g.
ressoa, inoompeisai. The same Statute
auikorEes The Judge 70 discharge any
man from the jury whom he las reAsoa
10 believe Incompetent. snd never hs'
tate &c snforee this rule Ia cases sherr
J | think il required.
The precise date Of The advsh, of the
Grad Jury system Is nos los, in the
remote and ,hado~y past; There ts
some evidence TO iadies,e the s,isisnee
Of the Grand Jury in The reign Of the old
Saxon king who wsni upon the ,hr0ne
in the year SOC.
Oae q The irjsneiioas limi,iag The
Grand Jury q early times vas that they
would accuse no innOoen, person nor LEI
70 guiliy oss. We have the same in
more elaborate form to-day.
When = public institution has stood
The test Of - many esnturiss aud stood
!, - successfully. It's great antiquity dem
oa,,ra,r, no, only it, ussfalne.s, ba, sl'O
the high esteem in which Il /. held.
Grand Jurors have always been ,sksn
from the people. |, Is "a institution "of
The people" No person can be held for
an infamous crime except upon indie,.
meat and pressnimsn, Of . Grand Jary.
and when ~e realize wha, al all poser
fal institution j, l.. and from what =
fountain Of human experience u has been
drawn. ho- ii has been ideniihed With
good government and freedom fo' 90
many centuries. and hss 20 successfully
answered iis hishss; ends aud purposes.
then we bsgsn to appreciate iis us'falnes'
aud is great importance.
NO,wi,hs,Aading the miror changes
which the system has uhdergons 10 CON-
irg down to u, through the years. ons Of
its principal characteristics. and one
peculiar to Il a. /. continuous public IN
.iitu,i0n. Is the secrecy ~hieh attends
al IL se;s. ssd this idea Of secrecy IL .
matter Of 80 much Importance sad II 81
essential 10 your oficie.l acts lhs, The
Statute Allo-. 10 Grand Juror 70 tslk
in public about sny case before the body,
nor 70 disclose say opinion either of bis
own OF Of fellow Juror upon any subject
before them. They shall 10, tell how
any member voted. and this secrecy Is Of
90 grss, Importance that IL s snjoined
upon you not durins your term Of office
only. ba, this secrecy Is enjoinsd upon
you forever. The jis, Of its Importance
!. ini 10 protection And eneoaragemsn, Of
the utmos; freedom Of Discussion. The
conduct Of innocent persons. owing to the
circumstances sith which they are sur
rounded. IL sometimes Investigated before
the Gpnd Jury. and IL is of the greatest
imPOrtsnes that /. should never 20 GA,
Of the jlry room, for IL IL al old bat very |
true saying ths, "falshOoi will travel .
league while truth i. putting on It's boots
My irjunetiOa to you then ia; under
no Circumstances impart anything Of an
official nature.
You have noticed perhaps that there
are eighteen Of you The Statute does
not fx the number Of Grand Jurors. II
i. no, fixed psrmanently BY the old Com.
men Law. . pat, Of which the jury system
Il. So much . fixed tha, there mus,
Be t,oslrs in order TO find legal indic,-
meni. ard iha, ths, number must be
msjOrity Of the whole. Why have more
than twelve yoa uk' The principal
Of secrecy would become an idle provision
II there we're only twelve. Suppose some
miserable wretch sgsins, whom you had
found an indictment. should desire to
~resk hs vengance upon you. IL re-
quirss t.elvs TO hnd an indiciment.-but
II there we're thirteen Of you. be never
could know who voted agains, him.
foa viii retire TO your jury room aud
slsc, fo'sma,. whose duty !, viii be TO
sign all indictments fOaad BY your body.
whether he votes for al indictment or
sgsins; i,. IL the required number vote 10
6nd the indictment, he must sign IL ~
the representatives Of your body.
Rsmember that wish TO impress upoa
you above ell. the idsA Of secrecy which
Pefmsstss your body.
The Grand Jury then retired to their
room under charge Of 0aicsr X A. Bar
rO-s and the following Traverse Jurors
were inpAnslsd;